Motor controller



June 2&1927. 1,633,833

G. R. TOWNSEND MOTOR CONTROLLER I Filed ADIil 1 1925 2 Sheets-5heet i Inventor: Geo ge RTownsend,

His Attorngg June 28, 1927. 1,633,833

G. R. TOWNSEND MOTOR comomm Filpd Avril 19 25 2 Shanta-Shani 2 Inventor; George R .Tow'nsevnd,

b M lr His Attorhgg- Patented June 28, 1927.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE n. TOWNSEND, or SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIG'NOR r0 GENERAL ELEC- TRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

MOTOR CONTROLLER.

Application filed April 1, 1925. Serial No. 19,980.

My invention relates to improvements in motor controllers, particularly motor controllers intended for the automatic establishment of motor running connections after the establishment of themotor starting connections.

' One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved starting switch or controller having a plurality of positions and a single operating means, together with improved connections between the operating means and the switch contact mechanism whereby movement of the operating means in one directionto a final position effects a movement of the switch con-tact mechanism to one operating 'position,for example. the starting position, and. either a reverse movement of the operating means or a release of the operating means will effect an automatic operation of the switch contact mechanism to establish another connection, for example, the running connections. for the motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective connection between the operating means and the switch contact mechanism whereby the motor running connections cannot be established unless the motor starting connections are first established. I v

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement whereby a single electromagnet is effective to hold the switch contact mechanism in the running position so that upon failure of the power supply the switch or controller will assume the initial position so as to disconnect the motor from the source of supply, the single electromagnet also being effective to cooperate with the connections between the operating means and the switch contact mechanism whereby the contact mechanism is held in rection so as to thereby effect the establishment of the motor running connections. Fig. 4 is a very simplified diagram of a motor control system showing the controller employed in; effecting the starting and run-. ning connections for the controlled motor. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are similar skeleton views of another form of motor controller in accordance with the invention the figures corresponding respectively to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in showing the relative positions of the various parts of this form of the controller when the controller is in the off or initial position, the starting position and the running positi'on, respectively, and Fig. 8 is a simplified diagram corresponding to Fig. 1, showing the controller of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 employed to effect/the starting and running connections of a three phase alternting current motor.

'Referring' to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the controller comprises a plurality of cooperating contacts, the movable contacts 10, 11 and 19. being resiliently mounted on and carried by the rotatably mounted member 13. The contacts 10, 11 and 12 cooperate respectively with the contacts 14, 15 and 16, the contacts 14 and 15 being slightly closer their cooperating contacts 10 and 11 than the contact- 16 is with respect to the contact 12. The controller is operated by means of the handle 17.

which is securedto the shaft 18. V

In accordance with my invention I have provided improved connectionsbetween the operating means-comprising the handle 17 and? shaft 18 and the movable contacts 10,

11, and 12, whereby when the handle is moved directly from the position shownin Fig. ,1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the

contacts it) and it Till be brought into engagement with their coope 'ating contacts ll and but the contact 12 will be held outof engagen'ient with the contact 16. These connections include the lever l9 \\l .ich is pivot-ally mounted on the pin which is carried by the armature 21 of an electron'iagnet The armature 21 is mounted on the shaft 18 for rotation with respect iiiritb to, and the member 13 is also mounted on the shaft 18 for rotation with respect thereto. The lever 19 has a pivotal connection atone end thereof with the linl; 2"), the other end oi? the link being connected to the member which has two arms and 26 which cooperate with the armature 21. oi the electromagnet. The upper end of the lever 19 cooperates with the pin 27 which is carried by the member 13. The spring 28 cooperates with the lever 19 and is lo iii-ted between the pin 2t) and the pivotal connextion of the lever 19 with the link 3. his spring; is arranged to be put unde a strain during the movement of the switch contact mechanism to the starting position so to become effective to more the contact mechanism to the running position when the handle 17 is either released or moved slightly in. the reverse direction.

The operation of this form ot my invention is as tollows:Assu1ne that the controller is in the oft position as indicated in Fig. l and that. it desired to etiect the proper starting of: the motor 29 (Fig. 4); the handle lT will be moved directlx from the position indicated in Fig. 1 to the position indicated in Fig.1. 2, thereby movingthe armature 531. to the attracted position tl'n'ough the action ot the arm iii, and at the same time moving the coi'itacts l0 and ll. into engagement with the contacts 14- and 15 through the a tion at the hcrcinbetorc described connections bet teen the handle and lhc parts will.

no contact niechanisu'i. now he in their respective positions as indicated in Fig. ii and the spring will be placed under a strain to more the lower end oi the lever if) clockwise. and thus: in turn place the member 13 under a strain tor ciocitwise movement about the shatt in ilHOlt the connection between the upper end (it the lever and the ineinber 1 The motor will now be connected to the source of supply 30. the resistor 31 eiig included in the motor arn'iat-ure circuit and the winding of the eleetromagnet being: energized so as to magnetically told the armature The motor martin; connections will be n1aintained as long as the operator holds the controller handle 7 in the full forward posh tion. as soon as the operator releases his grasp upon the handle 1? or it he moves the handle slightly in the 18'28138 directioin the various parts will assume their respective positions as shown in Fig. 3. It will 1 1L in tthus be seen that by rea eiiect ot the electromagn 21, the spring is eiiectiro to more the member 13 a further distance in the clockwise direction about the shalt hrii'nzs the contact: it into eim'agement with tho correspoi'nlii j contact us and short-circuits the Sittl'iiillg resi.1lor llhcv arm :26 comes into engagement; with the armature 2t and arrests further movement of the i-haft 18 iii the return direction towards the starting position. The switch will now be may;- uetically held in the running position by means of the clectromngnct- It will thus be seen that the controller s required to be operated pro iierly even by an unskilled operator, since all that he need to know about the starting son of the holding et on the arn ature oi? the motor is that the handle 1"? must be thrown from its initial position as indicated in Fin. 1 to the t'ull torwa d position as indicated in liig'. 2 and thereafter the Hi tor running" connections are autrnnaticalit established independently of any further ope 'ation on he part: it ti o o aiiaitor. It will also he observed that in case there is a tailure of power. the s yirch will automatically return to the oil' position from the running positiorn and it will also be ol served that in case the power supply had failed previous to the operation of the controller to the starting position. the running connections cannot be established until atter the power supply is restored. 'lhat is because of the tact. that the holding cti'ect oi the electroinagnet: is necessary in order to permit the strain of the prion fin to become ellectii'e to throw the 51X ch i our the Siiliilitii position to the running position ind it there is a laihire of the power supply, tho olectroni: armature .il in (l nect'ioni-i to ho csta it is believed ii at a clear lIll(itl 'i;iii(liH;, of the iteati'lrcs ol" construction and the prineiples of (operation oi the form oi my irircntion as shown in Figs. 5, t3 and? rill ho had from an explanation ol the operation ot the arrangement liarts haying functions similar to corresponding parts ot the arrangement oi lilies. to 53 inclusive. are nnmbered similarly. Time. the sha'it t9 tlr lever 19, the arn'iature electronnurnet- F231, member 13, and other parts ot the arri'innement of Figs. 1. 2 and 2 correspond respectively to the shaft 18. the lever 19C the armature 21, the electromagnet the mean- 381 13 of the ar angement of Figs. to 7 inclusive. the lever 23 takes the place of the link 23. and this lever is secured to the shaft.- 18 so as to rotate i'lIQI' Q' -ii'li. The member 13- is secured to a switch shat! h ring two sets of contacts. the n being arranged to nr l e en I in corresponding set o1 stationary contacts 33 and the lower set 34; being arranged to make will not hold the iernnt the running conl lit] lifi

engagement respectively with the set of stationary contacts 35. The contacts 32 and 33 comprise the motor starting contacts and the contacts 34: and comprise the motor running contacts. 3

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows: Assume that the switch handle 17' is in the off or initial position as indicated in Fig. 5 with the sets of contacts 32 and34 out of engagement with their respective stationary contacts, in order to connect the three phase alternating current motor 29 to the three phase source of supply 30, the handle 17 will be first moved to the full forward position. will rotate clockwise with the shaft 18, the one end of the pin 36 carried by the end of the lever 23 moving in the slot 37 in the armature 21 and by reason of the operative zit) connection between the pin 36 andv the slotted upper end of the lever 19', the lever 19 will be moved counter-clockwise against the strain of the spring 28. This will cause the lever19 to rotate about the pin 20' carried by the, armature 21 and a resultant motion will be imparted to the member 13'. The movement of the pin 36 in the slot 37 in the armature 21 effects a movement of the armature to the attracted position, thus'moving the pin 20 inithe clockwise direction about the shaft 18'. This in turn effects a clockwise rotation of the member 13 with respectto the shaft 18 and brings the set of contacts 32 into engagement with the corresponding stationary contacts 33. The electromagnet 22' is energized to hold the armature 21 against the strain of the. spring 28', and the motor is connected to the three phase source of supply through the starting resistor 38. The parts of the controller will now be in their respective positions indicated in Fig. 6 and the motor starting connections will be maintained as long as the operator retains the handle 17 in the full operated position.

If the operator releases the handle or moves the handle backward a slight distance, the strain set up in the spring 28' during the establishment of the motor starting connections is effective to now rotate the member 13 a further distance in the clockwise direction and bring the set of running con tacts 34 and 35 into engagement. This effects the short-circuiting of the starting resistors 38 and connects the motor directly to the source of supply. The parts will now be in their respective positions as indicated in Fig. 7 and the running connect-ions will be established untilthere is either a failure of the supply circuit or until the operator moves the handle from the running position to the off or initial position, thus restoring the parts to their respective positions indicated in Fig. 5.

The lever 23,

and 7- as the preferred form of my invention,

since it lends itself more readily to large scale production. I appreciate that under certain conditions it may be desirable to control the automatic establishment of the motor running connections in accordance with somepredeterminedcondition, as for exam ple in accordance with the current taken by the motor or the arrangement may be suc that the motor running connections cannot be established until a definite interval of time after the establishmentof the motor starting connections. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the manner in which such automatic limiting action may be had in the controller. However, since this is not of the essence of the invention, such arrangements have not been shown or described.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof.

Vlhat I claim as new and desire to "secure mounted on the said shaft for rotation with.

respect thereto, a lever carried by and pivotally mounted with respect to said armature, the said lever having one end operatively connected with said contacts and the other end operatively connected with said shaft, and a spring associated with said lever, the connections being such that operating the said handle from the initial position toa second position moves the said armature to the attracted position, places the said spring under strain and moves the said contacts to establish the starting connections, the strain of the spring being thereupon'effective by reason of the holding effect of said armature to operate the. said lever and move the said contacts to establish the running connections when the said handle is released. 3

2. A motor controller having a plurality of cooperating contacts and operating means therefor for establishing starting and running connections, the said operating means comprising a shaft, an electromagnet having an armature mounted on the said shaft for rotation with respect thereto, operating connections between the said shaft and contacts comprising an operating member connected to said shaft, a lever carried by the said armature and pivotally mounted with respect thereto, the said lever having one end connected with the said contacts and the other end con-.

netted with t, d shaft, and a spring assomated \nth the Said lever, whereby operating the send shaft 111 one chrectron moves me stud armature to the attracted positiom places the stud sprlng under strzulrund meves the nets through said oneratin c011 said cont 1 startlng 00nnectiewse '0 estabhsh the mot 'tahlissh the motor running connections upon neetions, and the said, swing eperutes the said lever to more the sa'd contacts to es- 2': subsequent reverse movement of said shaft. In witness v'hereo't, I have hereunx' set my hand this 31st 311 01' March, 192

XVITSFNI). 

